A letter from Philippa and Erard

Translated letter:

Let all who will look at the present page know that I, Erard of Brienne, wishing to be at the service and loyalty to the noble lady Blanche, illustrious countess palatine of Troyes, and her son, the noble man, Thibaut, count palatine of Champagne and Brie, and the heirs of that Thibaut successively descending from his body, of my own and spontaneous will, compelled by no fear, no constraint, with the assent and spontaneous will of the lady Philippa my wife, I have quit and I quit, remitted and remit, renounced and renounce, abjured and abjure, transferred and transfer, given and give to said Blanche, countess of Troyes and her son Thibaut, count of Champagne and Brie, and the heirs of that Thibaut successively descending from his body, every right which I now have or had or said I had in the counties of Champagne and Brie and the appurtenances pertaining to the rule of Champagne and Brie or the income to be received from them; promising them that for the rest, by reason of said right, if I had it, I shall not move war or any suit through me or through another against them or the heirs successively descending from the body of that Thibaut in perpetuity.  – I also promised that I have not transferred said right to another; and if anyone were to say that I or my said wife gave or quitted or granted to anyone in any way that right that I have quitted and quit, as was said, I and my said wife, and the heirs successively descending from her body, we must guarantee that right by right to said countess Blanche and count Thibaut, and the heirs successively descending from the body of that Thibaut in perpetuity.  – I have also promised and I promised in the aforesaid way, as long as said count Thibaut or the heirs successively descending from his body, should live, I will not instigate, myself or through another, unless with the consent of said countess Blanche and count Thibaut, and the heirs successively descending from his body, that the sister of my said wife, the queen of Cyprus, should make over that right if she has, had, or ought to have it  over said  [things] to me or my same wife or the heirs successively descending from her body, by sale, gift, exchange, mortgage, or any other contract.  – And if said queen or her heirs, or another who directly or indirectly might wish to transfer said right if they had it over the aforesaid from them by any of the said modes, to me or my said wife, or the heirs successively descending from her body, we would not accept it, unless by consent of said countess and count and the heirs successively descending from the body of that count.  – And if that right should come to me or my said wife, or the heirs successively descending from her body, by any of the said modes, I have promised and I promise that, I shall not move a suit or war because of said right against countess Blanche or count Thibaut, or the heirs successively descending from the body of that Thibaut, myself or through another, nor will my said wife, nor the heirs successively descending from her body, nor any successor after my death, if it should happen that I die without an heir of my body. – If indeed it happened, let it not be, that we contravened these [promises], I or my said wife, or the heirs successively descending from her body, I have granted and grant to countess Blanche count Thibaut and the heirs successively descending from the body of that Thibaut, that they not be held to respond to me or my said wife or anyone for us, nor the heirs successively descending from the body of my wife, in some way over the arrangements, also if anything over them from the lord pope, or the lord king of France, or any other, should be instigated or initiated by me by another, that I have sworn and swear especially will not be done by me. – But if by chance said queen or the heirs successively descending from her body should come to these parts and acquire anything from the county of Champagne or Brie or said appurtenances, by war or suit or peace, what was left after they were in seizin and [feudal] holding of that conquest or acquisition, without opposition of said countess and count and the heirs successively descending from the body of that count, they would retain.  If I or my said wife, or the heirs successively descending from her body, could acquire in any way from said queen or her heirs anything from said conquest or acquisition, that would remain ours in peace and quit, with the aforesaid not objecting.  Thus we understand that the opposition of said countess and count and the heirs successively descending from the body of that count would not hold, if they had previously agreed or granted said conquest made by any of said modes. 
And if, let it not be, it happened that said count Thibaut should die without an heir of his body, or the heirs of his body successively descending without heirs of their bodies, there would be no prejudice/injustice to me nor to my said wife nor to the heirs sucessively descending from her body, from the said quitting, remission, renunciation, abjuration, transfer and donation, but to our right, if we had or ought to have any over the arrangements, I and my said wife could freely, we and the heirs sucessively descending from the body of that wife, return, with the aforesaid not opposing, nor any opposing letters or documents from said count Thibaut and his mother Blanche initiated or to be initiated, so only that said countess Blanche freely and peacefully, without any opposition and trouble, would hold and possess as long as she live, her whole dower, with all its appurtenances, as was set by count Thibaut, her late husband, and moreover all her conquests/acquisitions, which fall or could fall to her after the death of her husband or are appropriate to a wife by customary right or document.  – The same for the dower and acquisitions of the wife of said count Thibaut, whoever she might be. – We have by our own free will remitted and we remit the same, I and my said wife, and we have quit and quit to said countess and count and the heirs sucessively descending from the body of that count, and his allies, all the harm which they caused us in the time of the war, they and their allies.   
[I promised and I promise the same and I am held and shall be held to help said countess Blanche and count Thibaut, and the heirs sucessively descending from the body of that count, especially against the queen of Cyprus and her heirs and against every other creature who might live and die, except the count of Brienne and Garner of Marigniac, against whom I am not held to help said countess and count nor the heirs sucessively descending from the body of that count, if they should wage war against them, because they are my lords before these.]  -- By my own free will I have promised and I promise that all the aforesaid and subscribed before the lord pope by certain messengers and by my patent letters, and in person before his legate if he should be in these parts, and also before delegated judges, and before the king of France and other lords of said countess and count whenever asked by them or by the heirs of that count, I shall acknowledge the same and ask them in good faith to confirm the said subscriptions by their patent letters; but also my said wife, if it happen that I die before her, should renew the oaths and all the documents over the arrangements and those taken and prepared and noted below, as often as said countess and count or the heirs successively descending from the body of that count might wish.
So that all the aforesaid and below-written may be firmly observed, by my own free will and that of my said wife, at the request also and our prayers, our venerable father in Christ the bishop of Langres pronounced sentences of excommunication and interdiction in our lands and theirs against me and my said wife, if we should contravene the aforesaid or subscribed, and against all other allies and their confederates who might contravene the aforesaid or subscribed for said reason, moving a suit or making war over the said arrangements to said countess or count, or the heirs successively descending from the body of that count. – If however, let it not be, they incur those sentences in this way, the sentences will not be published until it is established that they have contravened or do contravene the arrangements or subscriptions in moving a suit or making war.  That the published sentences will be firmly observed until satisfaction is made to the said countess and count or the heirs successively descending from the body of that count, over those things which in said manner will have been done against the arrangements or subscriptions, and also over all harm, manifest and hidden, which they incur because of the war which we made against them, for which by authority of the lord pope we have been excommunicated, I and my said wife and our allies and also the next ecclesiastical interdict placed on our land on the eve of All Saints past and also over the four thousand Provins pounds which ought to be given before the said sentences are removed, all the arrangements will nonetheless remain in force.  They will also in such a situation be able to use all the rights towards us and them and those to whom our goods may come, and towards the things which in the future we will hold from that countess Blanche or her son count Thibaut, or the heirs successively descending from the body of that count, and also the jurisdiction (grueria) which they claimed in our woods, as they could use it on the said eve if it happened that we  or anyone in our name contravened the arrangmenets or subscriptions by bringing suit or making war; but also against me and against my said wife and the heirs heirs successively descending from her body, they could in that situation use all the instruments or letters from the lord pope, or from the lord king of France, or from the claims made and also to be made by any other, until satisfaction was fully made over the arrangements.   
Against the queen of Cyprus and her heirs, however, and against all who had cause with them, they could use all the instruments or their letters at any time whenever they wished. – Said Philippa, my wife, promised also that she will work to her ability so that whoever might be her husband if perhaps, let it not be, I should die and she take another husband, would promise and swear to hold and observe firmly all the aforesaid and subscribed, and would also give his patent letters over all the same to said countess and count and the heirs successively descending from the body of that count, according to the form of the present letters.  I promised and promise the same from my heir successively descending from the body of my said wife.  – I also granted and grant that if the heir descending from the body of my said wife or whatever husband, did not wish to swear said oath and confirm all the things as arranged, said countess or count or the heirs successively descending from the body of that count, freely and legally, without misdeed or perjuring their faith, could seize and hold that fief in their hand, whatever the heir could hold from them on the part of my said wife or whatever husband of hers, and not give it back until the owed homage for that fief and the aforesaid oath were given, and any harms, if they had been incurred over this in the interim, made whole. – They could do it against me and against my said wife with whatever fief we hold from them, if we should, let it not be, contravene the arrangements in said manner.  – There should, however, be no prejudice to the heirs successively descending from the body of my said wife because of the act of the husband, the stepfather of those heirs, that they not come back to the fief.  – And similarly, because of the deed of any sons or daughters successively descending from the body of my said wife, no prejudice should be caused to me nor to my wife, or other sons or daughters successively descending from the body of said wife.  – Over all these, by my own free will, and that of my said wife, I have renounced and I renounce all canonic and civil and customary help that might serve me against these.  And all and each of these, as expressed above, by my own free will, with the consent of my oft-mentioned wife, having touched the holy relics and Gospels, I swore that I would observe in perpetuity and never contravene.  – In perpetual witness of all of which, I have given the present page, strengthened by the impression of my seal, to the oft-mentioned countess and count.  – Enacted in the 1221st year from the incarnation of the Lord, in the month of November, on the morrow of All Saints.

Original letter:

Noverint universi presentem paginam inspecturi, quod ego Erardus de Brena, volens esse ad servicium et fidelitatem nobilis domine Blanche, illustris comitisse Trecensis palatine, et nobilis viri Theobaldi, nati sui, Campanie et Brie comitis pala­tini, et heredum ipsius Theobaldi ex corpore suo successive descendencium, propria et spontanea voluntate mea, nullo metu, nulla coactione compulsus, de assensu et voluntate spontanea domine Philippe uxoris mee, quitavi et quito, remisi et remitto, renunciavi et renuncio, abjuravi et abjuro, transtuli et transfero, donavi et dono predictis Blanche, co­mitisse Trecensi, et Theobaldo, nato ejus, comiti Campanie et Brie, et heredibus ex corpore ipsius Theobaldi successive in perpetuum descendentibus, omne jus, si quod modo habeo vel habui vel dixi me habere in comitatibus Campanie et Brie et in pertinenciis, ad dominum Campanie et Brie pertinentibus vel pro proventibus inde perceptis; promittens eisdem quod de cetero, occasione predicti juris, si quid habui, contra ipsos, vel heredes ex ipso Theobaldo successive in perpetuum descendentes, guerram vel aliquid placitum per me vel per alium non movebo. — Promisi eciam quod pre dictum jus in alium non transtuli; et, si aliquis diceret quod ego vel dicta uxor mea dedissemus vel quitassemus seu quocumque alio modo concessissemus ei jus istud quod quitavi et quito, sicut predictum est, ego et predicta uxor mea, et heredes ex corpore ipsius successive descendentes, debemus predictis B. comitisse et Theobaldo comiti, et heredibus ex corpore ipsius Theobaldi successive in perpetuum descendentibus, per jus garantire jus illud. — Promisi eciam et promitto prefato modo quod, quamdiu vixerit predictus Theobaldus comes vel heredes ex corpore suo successive descendentes, ego non procurabo, per me vel per alium, nisi de assensu predictorum Blanche comitisse et Theobaldi comitis, et heredum ex corpore ejusdem Theobaldi successive descendencium, quod jus, si quid habet, vel habuit, vel habere debuit super predictis, soror predicte uxoris mee, regina Cypri, ad me vel ad eamdem uxorem meam, vel ad heredes ex corpore ipsius successive descendentes, per empcionem, donacionem, excambium, gageriam vel per alium qualemcumque contractum deveniat. — Et si pre­dicta regina vel ejus heredes, seu alius qui mediate vel inmediate ab eis aliquo predictorum modorum jus supradictum, si quod habuit vel habet super premissis dicta regina, haberet ultro aliquo modo, in me vel in predictam uxorem meam, vel in here­des ex corpore ipsius successive descendentes, jus, si quod haberent super predictis, transferre vellent, non reciperemus, nisi de assensu predictorum co­mitisse et comitis et heredum ex corpore ejusdem comitis successive descendencium. — Et si ad me vel ad predictam uxorem meam, vel ad heredes ex cor­pore ipsius successive descendentes, aliquo predic­torum modorum deveniret jus illud, concessi et concedo, promisi atque promitto quod, occasione illius juris predicti, B. comitisse vel Th. comiti, seu heredibus ex corpore ipsius Theobaldi successive descendentibus, per me vel per alium, non movebo placitum sive guerram, neque predicta uxor mea, neque heredes ex corpore ipsius successive descen­dentes, nec alius successor meus post mortem meam, si contingeret me decedere sine herede corporis mei. – Si vero contingeret, quod absit, quod contra hec veniremus, ego vel predicta uxor mea, seu heredes ex corpore ipsius successive descendentes, concessi et concedo eisdem Blanche comitisse et Theobaldo comiti, et heredibus ex corpore ipsius Theobaldi successive descendentibus, quod nec mihi nec predicte uxori mee, nec alicui pro nobis, nec heredibus ex corpore ejusdem uxoris mee succes­sive descendentibus, teneantur super premissis aliquatenus respondere, eciam si quid super eisdem a domino Papa, vel a domino rege Francie, vel a quocumque alio, per me vel per alium, procuratum fuerit vel impetratum, quod me non facturum specialiter creantavi et creanto, promisi atque promitto. — Sed si forte dicta regina vel heredes ex corpore suo successive descendentes venirent ad partes istas, et de comitatu Campanie vel Brie seu pertinenciis predictis aliquid acquirerent per guerram vel placitum sive pacem, postquam essent in saisina et tenetura illius conqueste sive acquisicionis, quantum ad remanenciam, id est sine contradictione predictorum comitisse et comitis et heredum ex corpore ejusdem comitis successive descendencium, retinerent. Si ego vel predicta uxor mea, seu heredes ex corpore ipsius successive descendentes, aliquo modo a predicta regina vel heredibus suis aliquid de predicta conquesta seu acquisicione possemus acquirere, illud nobis remaneret pacifice et quite, non obstantibus predictis. Sic autem intelligimus quod contradictio predictorum comitisse et comitis et heredum ex corpore ejusdem comitis successive descendencium non valeret, si prius laudassent vel concessissent predictam conquestam aliquo predictorum modorum factam. — Et si, quod absit, contingeret predictum Theobaldum comitem sine herede corporis sui, vel heredes ex corpore ipsius successive descendentes sine herede corporum suorum decedere, nullum mihi nec predicte uxori mee, nec heredibus ex corpore ipsius suc­cessive descendentibus, fieret prejudicium ex quitacio, remissione, renunciacione, abjuracione, translacione et donacione predictis quin ad jus nostrum, si quid unquam habuimus vel habere debuimus super premissis ego et predicta uxor mea, libere possemus, nos et heredes ex corpore ejusdem uxoris mee successive descendentes, redire, non obstantibus predictis, nec eciam obstantibus aliquibus litteris seu instrumentis a dictis Theobaldo comite et B. matre sua impetratis a quocumque seu eciam impetrandis, ita tamen quod predicta Blancha comitissa libere ac pacifice, sine contradictione et molestacione aliqua, teneret et possideret quamdiu viveret totum doarium suum, cum omnibus pertinenciis, sicut ei factum fuit a comite Theo­baldo , quondam marito ipsius, et insuper omnes conquestus suos, qui post mortem mariti obveniunt vel obvenire possunt aut competere mulieri de jure consuetudinario sive scripto. — Idem esset de doario et conquestibus uxoris predicti Theobaldi comitis, quecumque illa foret. — Item propria et spontanea voluntate nostra remisimus et remittimus, ego et predicta uxor mea, et quitavimus atque quitamus predictis comitisse et comiti, et heredibus ex corpore ejusdem comitis successive descendentibus, et coadjutoribus suis, omnia dampna que nobis intulerunt, tempore guerre, ipsi et coadjutores eorum. — [Item promisi et promitto, et teneor atque tenebor juvare predictos B. comitissam et Theobaldum comitem, et heredes ex corpore ejusdem comitis successive des­cendentes, specialiter contra reginam Cypri et he­redes ipsius, et contra omnem aliam creaturam que possit vivere et mori, exceptis comite Brene et Garnero de Marigniaco, contra quos non tenerer juvare predictos comitissam et comitem nec heredes ex corpore ejusdem comitis successive descendentes, si haberent guerram in capite contra ipsos, eo quod domini mei sunt ante eos] — Item propria et spontanea voluntate mea promisi et promitto quod omnia predicta et subscripta coram domino Papa, per certos nuncios et per litteras meas patentes, et in propria persona coram ejus legato, si quis fuerit in partibus istis, et eciam coram judicibus delegatis, et coram rege Francie et aliis dominis predictorum comitisse et comitis, quandocumque ab ipsis vel ab heredibus ejusdem comitis requisitus fuero, recognoscam et bona fide rogabo eos ut ipsi predicta et subscripta per litteras suas patentes confirment; sed etiam predicta uxor mea, si me mori contigerit ante ipsam, quociens sepedicti comitissa et comes, seu heredes ex corpore ejusdem comitis successive descendentes, voluerint, debet renovare sacramenta et instrumenta omnia super premissis et inferius notatis prestita et confecta. — Ut autem omnia pre­dicta et infrascripta firmius observentur, propria et spontanea voluntate mea et predicte uxoris mee, ad peticiouem eciam et preces nostras venerabilis pater noster in Xpisto Lingonensis episcopus in me et predictam uxorem meam, si contra predicta seu sub­scripta veniremus, et in omnes alios et coadjutores et complices eorum qui contra predicta seu sub­scripta venirent occasione predicta, movendo placitum sive guerram super premissis predictis comi­tisse vel comiti, seu heredibus ex corpore ejusdem comitis successive descendentibus, excommunicationis et in terras nostras et eorum interdicti sententias protulit. — Si qui autem, quod absit, in hujusmodi sententias inciderint, non denunciabuntur sententie donec constiterit eos contra premissa vel infrascripta venisse vel venire, movendo placitum sive guerram. Que sentencie denunciate firmiter observabuntur quousque satisfactum fuerit comitisse et comiti supradictis, seu heredibus ex corpore ejus­dem comitis successive descendentibus, super his que prefato modo contra premissa vel subscripta facta fuerint, et eciam super omnibus dampnis, manifestis et occultis, que incurrerunt occasione guerre quam eis movimus, propter que auctoritate domini Pape excomunicati eramus, ego et predicta uxor mea, et coadjutores nostri, et eciam terre nostre ecclesiastico supposite interdicto in vigilia Omnium Sanctorum proximo preterita, et eciam su­per quatuor milibus libris Pruvinensium, que omnia reddi debent antequam prefate sententie relaxentur, premissis omnibus nichilominus in suo robore duraturis.  Poterunt etiam uti in hoc eodem casu omnibus juribus in nos et in eos ad quos bona nostra devenient, et in res quas in futurum ab eisdem B. comitissa vel Theobaldo comite nato ejus, seu heredibus ex corpore ejusdem comitis successive descendentibus, tenebimus, et eciam grueria quam clamabant in nemoribus meis, sicuti in prefata vigilia uti poterant, si nos, vel aliquem nomine nostro, contra premissa vel suprascripta venire contigerit movendo placitum sive guerram; sed etiam contra me et contra prefatam uxorem meam, et heredes ex cor­pore ipsius successive descendentes, uti poterunt in eodem casu omnibus instrumentis seu litteris a do­mino Papa, vel a domino rege Francie, vel a quocumque alio impetratis et eciam impetrandis, donec super premissis eisdem fuerit satisfactum ad ple­num. — Contra autem reginam Cypri et heredes ipsius, ac contra omnes qui causam haberent ab eis, libere uti poterunt omni tempore, quandocumque voluerint, omnibus instrumentis seu litteris suis.— Promisit autem predicta Philippa uxor mea quod pro posse suo laborabit ut quicumque fuerit maritus suus, si forte, quod absit, decederem, et ipsa alium virum acciperet, promittat et juret tenere et observare firmiter omnia predicta et infrascripta, et eciam super eisdem omnibus litteras suas patentes tradat predictis comitisse et comiti et heredibus ex corpore ejusdem comitis successive descendentibus, secundum formam presencium litterarum. Hec eadem promisi et promitto de herede meo ex cor­pore dicte uxoris mee successive descendente.  — Item concessi et concedo quod si heres ex corpore predicte uxoris mee successive descendens, seu qui­cumque maritus ejus, nollet juramentum predictum facere et omnia, ut premissum est, confirmare, predicti comitissa vel comes, seu heredes ex corpore ejusdem comitis successive descendentes, libere ac licite, sine mesfacere et sine fidem mentiri, possint saisire et in manu sua tenere feodum, si quid ex parte dicte uxoris mee ab ipsis tenere deberet heres, seu quicumque maritus ejus, et non reddere donec homagium debitum propter idem feodum ac juramentum predictum fuerint prestita, et dampna eisdem, si qua interim propter hoc incurrerint, restituta. — Hoc idem facere poterunt contra me et contra prefatam uxorem meam de quocumque  feodo quod ab eisdem tenebimus, si contra premissa, quod absit, prefato modo veniremus. — Nullum autem debet fieri prejudicium heredibus ex corpore dicte uxoris mee successive descendentibus propter factum mariti, eorumdem heredum vitrici, quin ad feodum revertantur.— Et similiter, propter factum aliquorum filiorum vel filiarum ex corpore predicte uxoris mee successive descendencium, non debet mihi nec eidem uxori mee, seu aliis filiis aut filiabus ex corpore ejusdem uxoris mee successive descendentibus, aliquod prejudicium generari. — Super his omnibus, propria et spontanea voluntate mea, et predicte uxoris mee renunciavi et renuncio omni auxilio canonico et civili et consuetudinario quod mihi posset contra hec prodesse. Et hec om­nia ac singula, sicut supra sunt expressa, propria et spontanea voluntate mea, de consensu sepedicte uxoris mee, tactis sacrosanctis reliquiis et Evangeliis, juravi me in perpetuum observaturum et nunquam contra venturum. — In quorum omnium per­petuum testimonium, presentem paginam, sigilli mei impressione roboratam, sepefatis comitisse et comiti tradidi.—Actum anno ab incarnacione Domini millesimo ducentesimo vicesimo primo, mense novembri, in crastino Omnium Sanctorum.

Historical context:

The letter renounces the claims Philippa and her husband Erard had to Champagne and Brie in favor of her aunt, Blanche of Navarre, widow of her father’s younger brother, and Blanche’s son, Philippa’s first cousin, Thibaut.  The Layettes du Trésor notes that Philippa’s letter is “of the same argument and form” as Erard’s letter (#1476) except for the passage about the queen of Cyprus, Philippa’s sister [in brackets], but does not print the text.   I have therefore translated the text of Erard’s letter which is said to be essentially the same, mutatis mutandis.  Another letter from Alix, duchess of Burgundy, confirms and witnesses the existence of letters by Erard and Philippa releasing Champagne and Brie to Countess Blanche and her son   (Layettes 1.534, #1486).

Printed source:

Layettes du Trésor des Chartes, 528-32, #1476

Date: